This Is How We Roll on the Tundra

Nov 5, 2012

ShareTweetEmail

Tundra buggies resemble a kind of double-wide, offroad school bus, with plush suspension, a massive 460 International Diesel engine, and tires that run at 12psi to float over mud and snow. They're jacked up about 10 feet, partly for clearance, but mostly to prevent any curious polar bears from climbing aboard.

We spent Saturday riding on Frontiers North Adventures' Buggy One, a wired-to-the-teeth expedition vehicle that Explore.org and Polar Bears International use to run their roving webcams. It carries two high-definition Sony cameras mounted at the front and rear, which can be aimed and focused from an onboard terminal or remotely controlled from PBI's Churchill office; another camera on the inside makes it possible to broadcast live video chats with researchers in the field. With two bunks, a bathroom, and a propane stove in the back, Buggy One can stay out on the tundra of the Manitoba Wilderness Management Area anywhere from a day to several weeks at a time.

ShareShareTweetEmail

Want to get Outside more?

Sign up for our newsletter and get the latest fitness tips, expert gear reviews, the best travel advice, and more.